1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disposable bags and, more particularly, to a disposable bag apparatus and method wherein the open mouth at the upper end of a convergently tapered plastic bag is inverted into the plastic bag to form a reflux valve on the end of a funnel inserted into the plastic bag.
2. The Prior Art
Numerous varieties of disposable bags are used for the collection and subsequent disposal of various waste materials. These bags range from the simple plastic bag adapted to being tied off with a string, bag tie, or the like, to highly complex bag and valve systems such as that disclosed in the patent of Fleury, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,734). The Fleury patent is directed to a funnel/bag combination wherein the funnel includes a reflux valve mounted to the lower end of the funnel. The bag is a conventional plastic bag of tubular construction with the funnel mounted in the mouth of the bag. The funnel is configured with two parallel panels that can be opened upon being squeezed from opposite edges. The valve consists of two separate sheets of plastic material suspended from each side of the funnel mouth. Liquid passing through the funnel falls into the bag between the two sheets of the valve. The sheets, being wetted by the falling liquid, tend to cling together creating a one way valve mechanism for the funnel.
Regrettably, the disposable bag of the foregoing patent is fairly complex in that it requires a number of extra parts and corresponding assembly steps thereby rendering the bag inherently more expensive for most disposable bag applications. What is needed is a simple, safe, disposable bag apparatus that is relatively inexpensive to fabricate so that it can be widely used throughout the healthcare and transportation industries. Such a novel, disposable bag apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.